Print feeding mechanism for wrapping and packaging machines



E. F. NESS April 4, 1939.

PRINT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR WRAPPING AND PACKAGING MACHINES Original Filed July 16, 1935 5 Y Z. 2 I firm P o \W a.

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m MN NF E d m r 0 m f II/IAZM ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR WRAP- PING AND PACKAGINGMACHINES Claims;

This invention relates to article wrapping and packaging machines but more particularly to machines for wrapping individual bars of butter, oleomargarine and the like with relatively thin flexible sheet material such as parchment paper, and packaging one or more wrapped bars into cartons.

This application constitutes a division of Patent 2,111,901, issued March 22, 1938, and entitled Wrapping and packaging machine, and is concerned particularly with the feeding of prints or bars to the wrapping mechanism.

An object is to produce a new and improved mechanism for advancing bars to the wrapping mechanism in such manner that they are properly spaced from each other so that they may be introduced into the wrapping mechanism in properly timed relation and so that inspection thereof can be conveniently made, an opportunity being afforded to remove damaged bars or prints and replace them with others without interrupting the movement of the several bars.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionreside in details of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter described, and, for purposes of illustration, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of a portion of a wrapping and packaging machine showing somewhat diagrammatically the primary bar or print feeder and the conveyor for advancing the individual prints to a vertically moving ram which is operable to advance the individual bars to the wrapping mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the driving mechanism for the chain conveyor.

Referring to the drawing, eifort has been made to omit unnecessary disclosure of the parts which tend only to obscure the real invention, but, on the contrary, as many parts have been shown diagrammatically to facilitate understanding of the structure and operation of the mechanism so that the nature and operation of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in this art.

As shown, the primary feeder A to which the individual bars ID of butter, oleomargarine or the like, in this instance of one-quarter pound size, are delivered, comprises a movable table H which reciprocates between stationary guides Ila, on which opposite ends of the prints I rest. Motion is imparted to the table II by a rocker arm l2 having a roller l3 at its upper end operating in a vertically disposed guide [4 fixed to the table, this mechanism operating to reciprocate the table ll longitudinally. At predetermined points in the swinging movement of the arm [2, the table is raised and lowered; raised during the advancing movement of the prints and lowered during the retracting or retrograde movement of the table. This latter is accomplished by an arm l5, which is pivotally connected at its lower end to a horizontal arm IS, the latter being fixed to a swinging arm ll. 7

The upper end of the arm 15 has a cam surface l8 to engage the table II and carries a roller l9 which is adapted to move in a vertically disposed guide 20 on the table. Connected to the lower end of the rocker arm I2 is a rod 2| and connected to the lower end of the arm I! is a rod 22, the opposite ends of these rods being driven in any suitable manner to effect the desired movement.

It should be noted that the arm I1 is fixed to a shaft 23 with which a vertical arm 24 is rigid. A link 25 for operating an arm similar to the arm 15 adjacent the forward end of the table extends from the arm 24. A link (not shown) extends from the upper portion of the arm l and cooperates with the link 25 for efiecting the desired motion. v n The bars or prints l0 are thus advanced step by step toward a pusher 21 passing beneath a guide 28 disposed above a stationary platform 29. The prints III are pushed upon the platform 29, the foremost print being moved beyond the forward edge of the platform, whereupon the pusher 21 engages its upper surface and pushes it downwardly to the chain conveyor B. A bell crank 30 is driven in any suitable manner by a rod 3| and engages the lower end of the pusher 21 to impart. the vertical reciprocatory movement thereto.

The chain conveyor comprises a pair of chains 32 spaced laterally from each other and mounted on the chains is a series of shelves or platforms 33, each being secured at its forward end to a stop member 34; The shelves 33 are arranged in pairs, one being secured to each of the chains, and adjacent the opposite end of each shelf 33 is another stop member 35. The pusher 21 lowers the individual prints l0 so that opposite end portions thereof rest upon the platforms 33. The lugs 34 and 35 afiord a safety measure so that when it becomes necessary for the operator to replace a bad or damaged print or bar, he can place it on the chain conveyor in the proper position. It will further be apparent that the chain conveyor is such that the prints delivered thereto can be readily and conveniently inspected, thereby to insure that only good prints will be delivered to the wrapping mechanism. The prints must be placed properly upon the chain conveyor since the ram which raises them, as will hereinafter appear, operates in timed relation to the chain and if the prints are not properly disposed on the conveyor, they will either not be engaged by the rim or will not be properly engaged to advance them in the desired manner.

The chain conveyors are trained over sprockets disposed at opposite ends thereof in the usual manner, and a shaft 36 on which the forward sprocket is mounted, has a small gear 31' meshing with a larger gear 38 to which is fixed a smaller sprocket 39 to receive a chain drive 4|] driven in any suitable manner so that the chain conveyor B advances the articles three times as fast as the primary feeder A. Thus, by spacing the prints in the manner effected by the chain conveyor, each print may be inspected by an operator and if one print is injured or damaged or is otherwise unsuitable for wrapping, it can be replaced by another one.

The prints III are individually lifted from the chain conveyor B by a vertically movable ram 4| which moves upwardly between the chains 32 and engages the undersurface of a print, forcing the same upwardly into the Wrapping mechanism C. Vertical movement is imparted to the ram 4| by a rocker arm 42, connected by a link 43 to the lower end of the ram, the latter being guided in its vertical movement by a guide 4| a. Any suitable means may be provided for imparting vertical oscillatory movements to the arm 42 in timed relation to the movement of the chain conveyor B.

Detailed description of the wrapping mechanism C is not considered necessary. Suffice it to say that the individual prints or bars l0 engage relatively thin fiexible sheet material such as parchment paper which is delivered into the path of movement of the print and the print and sheet material are advanced through folders for effecting the desired folding operations.

Although the above described mechanism is the best form known to me at the present time, it is to be understood that the above description is given merely by way of illustration, and it is to be understood that changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claims.

.What I claim is:

1. In an article Wrapping and packaging machine, means for advancing a series of prints of butter or the like to form a row with the prints substantially in engagement with each other, a platform to, receive the foremost print from which same is, pushed by oncoming prints, a pusher to engage the foremost print as same is moved from said platform and move same at substantially right angles to said advancing means, an endless conveyor to receive at one end thereof prints from said pusher, said conveyor comprising a pair of laterally spaced endless chains, relatively movable shelves on said chains respectively for receiving opposite ends of individual prints, and a ram at the opposite end of said conveyor to engage the underside of a print and discharge same vertically therefrom.

2. In an article wrapping and packaging machine, means for advancing a series of prints of butter or the like to form a row with the prints substantially in engagement with each other, a platform to receive the foremost print from which same is pushed by oncoming prints, a

pusher to engage the foremost print as same is moved from said platform and move same at substantially right angles to said advancing means, an endless conveyor to receive at one end thereof prints from said pusher, said conveyor comprising a pair of laterally spaced endless chains, relatively movable shelves on said chains respectively for receiving opposite ends of individual prints, a spacer indicator on opposite sides of each shelf for predetermining the proper positioning of each print, means to impart continuous movement to said conveyor so that the prints are advanced thereby faster than by said advancing means, and a ram at the opposite end of said conveyor to engage the underside of a print and discharge same vertically therefrom.

EDWARD F. NESS. 

